Arts & Events: November 2009 Archives

Oscar the Grouch and Zoe from Sesame Street came to Los Angeles to tell everyone that Sesame Street is turning the big 4-0. This week the most famous street in the world is celebrating its birthday with a new DVD collection, commemorative book and an appearance by Michelle Obama on the anniversary episode.

Despite the fact that their economy was pulverized to bits last year, from a musical standpoint Iceland is coming out on top. In the originality category they're especially strong. It doesn't matter whether you're into Sigur Rós, Múm or Björk you have to admit, they sound like nothing else. Now you can add another name to that list. Sin Fang Bous the new solo project of Sindri Mar Sigfusson, who took some time off from his band Seabear, to write a gorgeous experimental pop album Clangour. Never heard of him? Fair enough, his first show in LA is tonight at the El Rey Theatre, but if you like Animal Collective and Panda Bear, you might want to take a listen. We caught up with Sindri before his show and asked him a few questions.

Weekend Edition

       

If you like movies filled with whimsical, daffy humor (think Wes or Spike or Charlie) then you will probably dig The Men Who Stare at Goats as much as I did. It concerns our military's experimentation with paranormal phenomena as epitomized by the Jedi Warriors of the First Earth Battalion stationed at Fort Bragg, NC (yep!). Best of all, most of it is true. I like that Bob Zemekis is always pushing the boundaries of the technical aspect of filmmaking, but I'm motioned-captured out at this point! I'll see Christmas Carol but with gritted teeth.

Two interesting sales going on today: Flutter in Pasadena hosts a Minnie Rose, Christopher Fischer, Eze Sur Mer and Tag Jeans Trunk Show today from 11 am-5 pm. And various showrooms at the California Market Center Downtown are opening their doors to the public today for pre-holiday sample sale shopping.

                                   

Last Saturday, KCRW presented its First Annual Masquerade: A Halloween Costume Ball & Dance Party at the Park Plaza Hotel in Downtown LA. With music by DJ Shadow and Sweden's Little Dragon as well as local indie favorites Sea Wolf and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, plus food from Grilled Cheese, Border Grill, Kogi, Coolhaus and Sprinkles, it was an extravagant night of veritable sights, sounds, and smells.

Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. Legendary Boston-bred alternative rock outfit the Pixies are poised to conclude a three-night stint at the Hollywood Palladium with Brooklyn-bred TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone, who will be performing material from his solo endeavor Rain Machine of course. And, lastly, San Franciscan genre-defying septet Rupa & the April Fishes will be gracing the Mint. But we strongly suggest heading over to the El Rey Theatre to catch experimental Icelandic collective Múm. LAist favorites, Icelandic indie pop outfit Sin Fang Bous are slated to kick things off.

              

For the past two weeks, Brooklyn-based street artist Dan Witz has been in Los Angeles. And although he's put up about 20 pieces throughout Echo Park, Silver Lake, Hollywood and West Hollywood, he's not about to give away their locations.

The Silver Lake Art Crawl begins tonight with a series of events through Sunday. The majority of art gallery openings are happening Saturday night, but on Sunday, when the "Official Silver Lake Art Crawl Party at Barnsdall Art Park" occurs, a handful of food trucks will arrive to cater.

Saturday night Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, where art meets punk rock, will be hosting a birthday party for artist, activist, teacher and official LA "Living Cultural Treasure", Rachel Rosenthal as she celebrates her 83rd year. Amy Knoles from the California E.A.R. Unit and Jean Paul Monsché of the Mad Alsacians will be performing live. Rosenthal will also be celebrating the release of her upcoming book The DbD Experience: Chance Knows What it’s Doing! and will announce her Company’s new performance troupe, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble.

Today's big scuttlebutt is that Oprah may relocate her show from Chicago to Los Angeles by 2011. While this might be more convenient for Oprah and TV executives, we think TV is more competitive and more interesting when it is produced in more locations. If the entertainment industry doesn't want to be labelled as a "bi-coastal elitist" then it should be aware of how this appears.

                     

It's November and that means time to start holiday shopping. Here at LAist we encourage our readers to shop local, buy items that raise money for good causes, and celebrate the great things about our city.

The Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art in West Hollywood puts on some of the edgiest and coolest art shows in town. Tonight is the opening reception for Dark Doings with art by street artist Dan Witz. "This is the Brooklyn based artist’s first US west coast solo exhibition," explains a gallery e-mail blast. "In Dark Doings, Witz will showcase a selection of pieces from his expansive summer street project of the same name. Created both for the street and gallery, the subtle, haunting images of human and animal faces trapped behind dirty glass windows...

The season finale of HBO's "Bored to Death" is this Sunday at 9:30pm and it is a must-watch. There are plenty of McShows out there but this is not one of them and nor will it ever be. The brainchild of author and memoirist Jonathan Ames, the show about an author and part-time amateur private investigator bursts with uncompromised originality in every episode.

Tonight NY-based alternative rockers the Bravery will be headlining the Wiltern with Aussie indie rock quartet Howling Bells in tow. Austin/Brooklyn-bred electro pop duo Neon Indian are poised to grace Siren Studios with none other than Canadian experimental electronic duo Crystal Castles. And, lastly, Long Beach/Los Alamitos natives and recent Sub Pop signees Avi Buffalo (LAist Interview, Review) will be performing at the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Hollywood Palladium to catch legendary Boston-bred alternative rock outfit the Pixies, who will be taking on the penultimate night of their three-date stint.

                                   

It's hardly surprising that KCRW knows how to throw a party. I mean they are the home of Morning Becomes Eclectic one of the best music shows on air. And I don't mean in Los Angeles. I mean in the country. The radio station had rented out the gorgeous Park Plaza Hotel in MacArthur Park and threw a masked ball Louis XIV would have been proud of. KCRW's famed DJs spun tunes in every room as costumed guests milled around in varying states of inebriation. In the parking lot, food trucks waited patiently for the midnight hour to strike, a time when the guests would give in to their secret desire for tacos and grilled cheese.

       

There was a time, not long ago, when the early hours of Sunday night meant only one thing: Mo'Nique. Yes, when that supremely confident "big girl" hosted Showtime at The Apollo, a good time was had by all. You could be sure that the audience would be left in stitches, and by the end of the show, anyone who wanted could come on stage to do the Electric Slide with her.

No, downtown does not have a bunch of crunchy cheezeball souvenir shops, superheroes or stars embedded in the sidewalk. It does, however, have a convenient spot for movie premieres along the relatively unknown Georgia Street. Such an unremarkable name, but one that means less impacts to neighbors, traffic and, well, a movie studio's wallet.

Directed by award winning choreographer and filmmaker Lloyd Newson, the internationally renown London-based DV8 Physical Theatre is bringing To Be Straight With You to UCLA's Royce Hall as part of the UCLAlive season this Friday and Saturday nights. In what promotional materials describe as "a poetic but unflinching exploration of tolerance, intolerance, religion and sexuality," the evening length production is based on hours of interviews with dozens of men and women as the artists explore how modern society reconciles faith and human rights. Words from the pious and apostate, straight and gay and activist and bystander inform the discussion about subject matters often considered taboo . . . though obviously not by Newson!

We've been biting our tongue all season so far and not running to the keyboard to spew forth our behemoth recaps of The CW's re-tooled 90210, now in its second year on the air. But we're still watching--and encouraging you to watch, too, like our TV Junkie did yesterday--and last night's episode had just enough on-location action to get our tongues, and fingers wagging.

In its hey-day, RIDE-Arc's monthly rides would take cyclists around the city, exploring architecture, environmental efforts and Hollywood history. Compared to other group bicycle rides like Midnight Ridazz and CRANK Mob, RIDE-Arc is the smart, mature and law-abiding sibling. Over the past couple years, its leadership has gone on hiatus, only offering a ride here and there. Good news, however, came today as they announced via e-mail a Santa Monica-focused ride for Friday evening:

"Sesame Street" is about to enter its 40th season and it's making us feel, well, all of our own 40 years. As a little TV Junkie we were plunked down in front of that show as soon as we could sit up and the power of this incredible show has stayed with us all these years. Characters from the show will be popping up all over the place this week, including co-hosting "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" on Monday, November 9th.

"If you own a PS3, you've got to have this game. (Gametrailers.com)" 5 Stars. 10 out of 10. Game of the Year. Best of Show. The best action game to date. With a Metacritic score of 96 (out of 100), Uncharted 2 is universally acclaimed and with a million copies sold in the first week, it makes Uncharted 2 the must have game of the year. After many sleepless nights researching (read: playing) the sequel, LAist got to chat with Evan Wells, co-president of Naughty Dog.

Greenway Arts Alliance presents inkSlam: The Los Angeles Poetry Festival '09 at the Greenway Court Theater. The multi-day event kicks off tonight and runs through November 7th and will feature a series of workshops, performers and an invitational poetry slam featuring eight elite teams from across the nation. Festival activities will conclude on Saturday with the Final Slam battle between the poetry slam teams.

Tonight legendary Boston-bred alternative rock outfit the Pixies will be taking on a three-night stint at the Hollywood Palladium with local noise-infused rockers No Age (LAist Review, #2) in tow. Equally legendary Akron-based new wave act Devo are poised to conclude a two-night stint at the Henry Fonda Music Box. And, lastly, English electronic act Broadcast will be headlining the Troubadour with none other than Deerhunter front man Bradford James Cox's solo endeavor Atlas Sound. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Bootleg Theater to catch one of LAist's favorite local singer-songwriters Mia Doi Todd.

              

This week the Magic Castle is commemorating the 100th anniversary by conjuring up a series of celebratory events. Yesterday afternoon LAist was invited to witness Jim Bentley recreate Harry Houdini's famous straitjacket escape trick (see a video embedded below).

One year ago tonight, thousands of disappointed voters hit the streets to protest the passing of Prop 8 which banned gay marriage in California. Tonight, people will gather again.

Most fans of The Boondock Saints have heard some pretty nasty stuff about its Writer/Director Troy Duffy. I’ve been in this conversation a million times and it starts off by a random Boondock Saints reference, “Thanks for coming out,” something like that. Then there’s shared enthusiasm for the film among those who’ve seen it, “I love that movie!” and bewilderment toward those who haven’t, “You’ve never seen The Boondock Saints”

The Men Who Stare At Goats opens Friday with a big cast. The war-genre comedy stars George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey and is inspired by Jon Ronson's non-fiction bestseller, which is an eye-opening and often hilarious exploration of the government's attempts to harness paranormal abilities to combat its enemies.

Did you make the mistake, like us, of watching the original "V: The Final Battle" on Syfy last weekend? We can't believe that series was such a big deal when we were kids but here's good news, the remake of the series that airs tonight at 8pm on ABC takes the premise and completely owns it in a very slick and well done (at least for the part of the pilot that we've seen) rendition. We'll be watching and not remotely comparing.

       

Back in June I wrote, "Movies open every week in Los Angeles, and LAist always tries to let you know about as many of them as possible. Some films, though -- at least I think so -- deserve a special mention because a) they don't have a huge marketing budget supporting them; b) they are the kinds of provocative films that more people should see and c) they are the kinds of films that the worst toadies in corporate America don't want you to see." The film I was referring to was Food, Inc., and it is available today on DVD. It changed the way I eat. It may just do the same for you. On to lighter fare: G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra was a horrible, horrible film, but at least it wasn't as bad as Transformers 2. That's got to count for something, right? Proof that studios can still make big-budget films that are actually good: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3.

When couples celebrate a major anniversary, it's often said that they've been making beautiful music together for a long time. In the case of Over the Rhine, that description is literally as well as figuratively true. The core of the group, which was named after a neighborhood in Cincinnati, is comprised of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Linford Detweiler and his wife, songwriter/vocalist Karin Bergquist. This year marks the band's 20th anniversary.

Fred Wolf was the man behind the famous Tootsie Roll commercial. You know, “Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” Wolf also worked with Frank Zappa on 200 Motels and Peter Yarrow on Puff The Magic Dragon. Tonight (8 p.m.) at Cinefamily ($13), "Animation historian Jerry Beck will present a tribute to Wolf, with rare clips from his movies, TV shows and vintage 1960s commercials, and present a live on stage interview with Wolf himself, as he discusses his career in film, and his relationships with his famous collaborators."

Tonight legendary Akron-based new wave act Devo (LAist Interview) will be taking on a two-night stint at the Henry Fonda Music Box. Local indie rockers Silversun Pickups (LAist Review, #2, #3) are poised to headline LA Weekly's 101 Fest at the Gibson Amphitheatre. And, lastly, LA-bred electronic mastermind Daedelus will be gracing Cinespace with Jogger...

Today marks the release of "The Shield: Complete Series" on DVD. This series pushed the boundaries of what could be done on cable television, in terms of content, quality of writing and production, and talent (Academy Award winners galore guested or had long-running storylines). "The Shield" paved the way for current darlings of the critics and viewers like "Damages", "Mad Men", "Breaking Bad", Saving Grace", etc. High quality, aggressive and unapologetic storytelling is not limited to premium cable anymore because of "The Shield".

Lloyd Newson is bringing his radical DV8 Physical Theatre to UCLA for two shows this weekend. For those not familiar, Newson and his troupe create some of the most interesting dance performances out there today (check out these three amazing YouTube clips). This Friday and Saturday, they will bring the controversial “To Be Straight With You,” which explores tolerance, intolerance, religion and sexuality based on 85 interviews with the pious and apostate, straight and gay, activists, among others. It ultimately asks how modern society will reconcile faith and human rights.

This week there's some really great free shows going down at 8p at the Comedy Central stage, so you've really got no excuse to not get out there. Around town, you can also shake off the candy withdrawals and expensive bar tab by keeping it cheap at the usual haunts: UCB, iO West, Westside Comedy. If you've got a little more coin in your pocket, there's a couple of great shows going down at Largo - particularly The League fellas on Wednesday. If you think I missed something or want to let me know about something you're going to see, email Farley here. Happy November everyone.

When Devo first appeared on the scene in 1978 (1977, if you were hip enough to be at a punk show where their independent film/ music video “The Truth About De-Evolution” was screened in between bands), there was nothing remotely like them under the sun. In a heavily macho scene, they offered a stiff, robotic alternative. Highly conceptual, wickedly funny, and possessed with a knack for garage-rock riffs, which were then mangled by machinery like a thumb under a drill press, it was Poindexter Rock that could also get you to move your ass

There's already some news about how this season is going in terms of viewership for the big networks: all the big networks have larger audiences with the exception of ABC. NBC is still struggling in 4th place and its "Jay Leno Show" has about 1/2 the viewership of its rival networks at that hour. Leno did an interview over at Broadcasting & Cable to get some positive press and alludes to a desire to return to the 11:35pm slot.

For those of you who don't know, White Rabbits isn't just a rock band from New York City. It's a band of six drummers from New York City. Watching their live show is like having each note pounded into your chest with a sledgehammer... in a good way. At any given time, three or more members are pummeling their instruments with an energy that is both mesmerizing and terrifying. It's impossible to attend a show without finding yourself clapping along, pounding on your chest, jumping up and down, and desperately restraining yourself from drumming on your neighbor's back. We caught up with lead singer, Stephen Patterson from the road.

"It’s a web series for men about dressing like a grown-up," Jesse Thorn told LAist about his new web show, Put This On. In the maiden episode, Thorn heads to Pasadena's Rising Sun Jeans, where he uncovers some well constructed $500 men's jeans. The new program, of excellent production value, also features informational pieces with Thorn and Adam Lisagor.

              

If you were at LA Live on Halloween night, whether to see the Michael Jackson concert-documentary film This is It or just enjoy the evening out, you may have thought for a moment you'd stumbled onto the set of a horror film or a cemetery in full uproar thanks to the assembled dancers participating in yet another dance-along to the late pop icon's mega hit. Just one week earlier a record-breaking 22,923 people danced in 32 countries as part of the Thrill the World annual event; some of those performers were back among the undead to entertain the crowd at the Clippers game Saturday night.

Self Help Graphics holds the 36th Annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the East LA Civic Center tonight from 5-11 pm. The event features children's art workshops, art and crafts vendors, elaborate altars and local food. Guests will also enjoy a day of the dead fashion walk, live music from top local performers including Killsonic, L'Esprit d'Africque, Ollin, La Santa Cecilia and surprise special guests. One of evening's highlights a traditional public procession featuring people of all ages in colorful calavera face paint and attire. Also: Our guide to Dia de los Muertos events around the city.

Tonight NY-bred indie pop outfit Vampire Weekend (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing to a sold-out crowd at yet another unlikely venue, the Art Theater in Long Beach. Japanese all-female pop punk trio Shonen Knife are poised to headline the Echo with none other than Mike Watt & the Secondmen in tow. And, lastly, local indie rockers the Happy Hollows (LAist Review, #2, #3) will be kicking off a month-long residency at Spaceland with Dirt Dress and Pepper Rabbit. But we strongly suggest heading over to the El Rey Theatre to catch LAist favorites Local Natives (LAist Interview). NYC-based indie rock sextet White Rabbits are slated to headline.

                            

Muse is one of the largest Halloween parties in Los Angeles, taking over the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the weekend. The big draw is the crowd, a creative bunch who take their costumes seriously. There is always something amazing and creative. This year the theme was "Heroes and Villains."

If only there could be more pop stars like LIGHTS. The Toronto-based 22-year-old is a refreshing change in an industry where young singers are often better known for their exploits than for their talents. Not only does she make synth-driven "intergalactic music," but she has also created an alter ego called "Captain LIGHTS." The character first appeared in a comic book series on LIGHTS' website, and she has recently taken it to the next level with a short animated series on MTV called "Audio Quest: A Captain LIGHTS Adventure."

Despite being hyped by its evil corporate owner AEG, Michael Jackson's This Is It only earned a decent-but-hardly-great $21.3M at the box office this weekend. It was enough to win the weekend, though Paranormal Activity made a strong charge at second place ($16.5M | $84.7M). After that it was all hold-overs. The unusually robust Law Abiding Citizen continued to do well ($7.3M | $51.3M) as did the moderately funny Couples Retreat ($6M | $86.6M). The vile and stupid Saw VI rounded out the top 5 with $5.5M ($22.8M).

                                   

It wasn't until concertgoers arrived at the gates yesterday that they finally learned what classic album Phish would cover in its entirety during their "musical costume" set at Festival 8. Reviving a tradition that began in 1994 when Phish covered The Beatles' The White Album, last night the quartet staged an ambitious cover of the Rolling Stones' 18-song double LP, Exile on Main St. As in years past, the costume choice was a closely-guarded secret until the day of the show, when thousands of "Phishbill" programs (à la Playbill) were distributed, complete with bios of the "cast," which last night included Sharon Jones on vocals and members of the Dap Kings on horns.

This week legendary Boston-bred alternative rock outfit the Pixies will be taking on a three-night stint at the Hollywood Palladium with local noise-infused rockers No Age (LAist Review, #2) and Brooklyn-bred TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone, who will be performing material from his solo endeavor Rain Machine of course. Equally legendary Akron-based new wave act Devo are poised to take on a two-night stint at the Henry Fonda Music Box. Local indie rockers Silversun Pickups (LAist Review, #2, #3) will not only be headlining LA Weekly's 101 Fest at the Gibson Amphitheatre, but will also be performing special sets for Kia Soul Collective at Siren Studio and Kidrockers at the Echo. And, lastly, experimental Icelandic collective Múm will be gracing the El Rey Theatre with none other than Icelandic indie pop outfit Sin Fang Bous.

Thursday night at Royce hall in UCLA was like the face melting "Stoned Again" poster. A great start, but it ended badly. It was hard to guess which R. Crumb would be on stage, the self-loathing, misogynistic misanthropic, insensitive curmudgeon or the boyishly endearing, insightful artist.

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win two free tickets to see LACO perform Beethoven's 5th Symphony! For those looking for something to do tonight, the Santa Monica Symphony is hosting a free concert tonight featuring Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 2.

Tonight Vermont-based jam band Phish (LAist Review) will be concluding Festival 8, a three-day stint in Indio at the famed Empire Polo Club. Indie rock duo Black Gold are poised to take on the Troubadour with none other than all-female rock trio Girl In A Coma. And, lastly, Ohio-based lo-fi rock act Times New Viking will be performing at the Echo with San Franciscan noise-infused pop outfit Sic Alps for this week's edition of Part Time Punks. But we strongly suggest heading over to Amoeba Music in Hollywood to catch Los Angeles' own "Ambassador of Boogie Funk," Culver City-based DJ/selector DâM-FunK.

              

All over the city last night people dressed up and gathered to celebrate Halloween. Many flocked to the MUSE party held annually at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where creativity and ingenuity and the artistic were in full force in the form of costumes. Here is just a small sampling of the insanity.

OK, so Halloween is over, no more dressing up and having fun. Wrong! The fun never stops! Dia de los Muertos in Los Angeles means days of face-painting, music, giant puppets, sugar skulls and even special bread. So get out there and let the celebration continue!

It may be November, but in Woodland Hills, you can still celebrate Halloween for one more day. The annual Halloween Harvest Festival and Frightfair at Pierce College continues through tonight.